PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AS A STRATEGIC MANAGER 7001

LEARNING OUTCOME 1

Introduction:

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants. It operates in 119
countries through 31,000 restaurants worldwide, employing more than 1.5 million people. The
corporation functions mostlt by means of franchisees.

McDonalds is one of the many corporations that have successfully used a combination of various
marketing strategies to be a globally successful organisation.

Be able to identify personal skills to achieve strategic ambitions

1.1 Analyse the stratigic direction of the organisation

An organization’s survival in a competitive business world depends on its strategic plans and
how those plans relate to the business world. Having a good strategic plan is good but it’s not
enough to stir an organization to success and thus profitability. The implementation of such
plans is not without challenges and these challenges become profound in a multicultural
organization. It takes coordinated efforts on across the entire organization especially senior
management to ensure the success of strategic plans.

An organization that intends to be competitive in the business will seek talent and expertise
from a broad array of countries and continents. These individuals will come from different
backgrounds, cultures, ethnicity and education. How a company manages its operations to
attain success entails an integrated processes and functions. The company can bend to
socioeconomic conditions in the ways its tailors its goods and services without affecting the
cultural sensitivity of either the workers or the market in which the product is sold. A good
example with the expansion of MacDonald’s into the Indian market. Indian doesn’t eat beef
due to sacred religious reason as the cow is view as a deity. So MacDonald has changed its
line of beef burgers which are popular with Americans with different meat which the people
of Indian will like and which does not force employees in India to cooks hamburgers with
 beef either.

Also cultural differences in an organization could mean that different employees as well as
consumers in different markets have different taste and attitudes that define them. A
company could manage these differences by designing products and services to meet the
needs of likeminded cultures. The cultural needs of individual employees could be
accommodated by making it easier for them to observe whatever traditional or religious
holyday they may have. An organization with Muslim employees might have to allow their
employees some time off during fasting seasons and other holydays especially if the
organization is located in a predominantly Christian country. The organization could increase
production of existing products or roll out of new product line based off the cultural holidays
in order to take advantage of sales and market share. Most cultures celebrate their own
versions of New Year and such festive occasions are usually tied to increases in purchases. A
good example will be the fireworks industry and how it promotes its self during festive
occasions.

1.2 Evaluate the stratigic skills required of the leader to achieve the strategic ambitions

Leadership has been defined as “the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of a
vision or set of goals”, and managers as “people who achieve goals through other people”
(Robbins et al 2008, 695). With these definitions in mind, it would seem that appropriate
training for leaders and managers would be highly people oriented; developing emotional
intelligence skills, communication skills and appreciating the role of human emotion within
the workplace. However, the focus of such programs has been, and still is to a large extent,
on technical skills and rational thinking. Many factors contribute to this disparate focus; the
historical and cultural context in which such programs are developed and taught, the
assumptions and beliefs on how work directions translate into a good or service, the way
universities are structured and even the types of students attending management and
leadership programs.

Until relatively recently, people were assumed to be “rational creatures” (Ripley 2009, 31).
This assumption meant that organisations and educators of leaders/managers were oblivious
to the role of emotion in the workplace (Kimura and Yoshimori 1989, 22). The utilization of
 rigid structures, explicit rules and procedures, designed to control and limit employee
behaviour (Napoli, Whiteley and Johansen 2005, 35) illustrate the reliance of business
thinkers upon employee’s rational behaviour. Rules plus rational behaviour were thought to
produce a predictable and stable labour force, which allowed management to consider
employed labour as a steadfast factor of the production process. Given the correct rules and
procedures, it was thought that employees would fall into line, and hence management and
leaders could focus on the technical and rational aspects of the organisation, and did not have
to be overly concerned with employees or affective issues.

1.3 Assess the relationship between existing, required and future skills to achieve the
strategic ambitions:

Sometimes it is difficult to find the words to identify our skills. When we write a resume, for
example, we try to recall a specific skill we possess and it takes time to put those skills on
paper in the appropriate words. The attached information can help you identify specific skill
areas. You probably possess most of these skills but you just don’t realize it. If you find that
you are lacking any of these skills, take some time to refine the skills you do have, and work
to develop the skills that you need. All of these skills will be useful to you throughout your
life. For the purpose of this booklet, most of these skills you will read about are defined as
“Transferable” Skills. You will, however, hear these skills referred to in other ways as well.
Read ahead to learn more about some of the diverse skill sets that exist.

LEARNING OUTCOME 2

Be able to manage personal leadership development to support achivevement of strategic

ambitions

2.1 Discuss the opportunities to support leadership development

Over the past several decades, organizations’ leadership development programs have often led to
the bad combination of high costs and mediocre results. But when the nature of a challenge is
itself complex, one needs to tackle it by first understanding its component parts and the
relationships between them, and then provide a sophisticated solution to match that reality. For
leadership development, this means taking a modern, blended approach that weaves together
formal training, informal learning approaches, and social learning opportunities that leverage the
latest technologies.
Consider the following overview of what a modern, sophisticated leadership development
program can look like:

This figure, developed by Taleo’s partner DDI, represents a typical 12-month leadership
development program (each column represents a quarter), although many of the same
components would apply for programs with shorter timeframes. While it may look complicated,
a better perspective is to see it as being sophisticated and better matching the
inherent sophisticated nature of leadership development as a discipline. Let’s break it down into
each component part:

• Kick Offs. Getting everyone on the same page regarding the goals and components of the
program is an important first step. This could involve one or more meetings, and typically
includes representation from executive leadership to help convey the importance of the
program both for each participant’s development and the long-term health of the
organization.

• Pre-Assessments. These could include current skills assessments to provide a baseline

for later comparison, as well as personality and characteristic assessments, such as
StrengthsFinder or Myers-Briggs, as these can be enlightening to participants who need
to first better understand who they are before they can successfully develop further.

• Core Curriculum. In most cases, some formal training will still be a part of the blend,
leveraging any combination of traditional classrooms, virtual classrooms, or self-paced e-
Learning courses. Such curricula can leverage robust, realistic role-playing or simulation
activities, that let participants practice the new competencies they are learning.

• Coaching and Mentoring. Each participant in a leadership development program

typically has one or more coaches or mentors, that they can interact with between formal
training events and as they begin to apply their new skills. The informal advice provided
from existing leaders is often the most helpful aspect in the development of an emerging
leader.

• Action Learning. Given that the purpose is to develop leaders for the real world, it is
sensible to have participants work on real business problems. In some cases this can even
provide direct business value as a secondary benefit of the development program.
 • Social Learning. Given the punctuated nature of formal training – whether delivered in
the classroom or by e-Learning – it is important to keep the conversations alive between
participants and subject matter experts. New social media technologies help to enable
social learning as a key component of leadership development programs. Tools such as
forums, blogs, and wikis can be used to enable Q&A and general discussions, share
applications of new skills in a variety of real-life contexts, and brainstorm approaches to
the most challenging situations.

• Post-Assessment. After the core curriculum is concluded, the results of a post-

assessment can be used to compare with the pre-assessment, to help verify that behavior
changes will actually result from the program. After all, a development program is only
as useful as the behavior changes it produces.

• Development Meetings and Job Growth Experiences. It is crucial that each

participant’s manager is involved throughout the process, including at the conclusion of
the formal program to make sure development will continue as appropriate.

2.2 construct a personal development plan to direct leadership development

My personal development plan will be based on analyzing my personality, my leadership style

and my learning style. The objective of this essay is to initiate my own personal development
plan. To begin with, there will be a part to evaluate my personality, combined with an online
MBTI Personality Test. After that, my leadership style will be focused on and I will also analyze
how this style shapes my career development. Then, I will depict which way of learning is
suitable for my future development. To conclude, there will be an important part to examine my
personal development action plan which will specifically list some essential and feasible
activities to enrich my working competencies and skills so as to accomplish my own goals and
objectives.
As Mullins (2005) states, “Psychologists have defined personality as consisting of stable
characteristics which explain why a person behaves in a particular way”. Besides, to take a
holistic view of personality, it is important to take into consideration the dynamic processes,
which means focusing on the ways in which an individual’s traits interact. Armstrong (2006)
indicates that personality can be regarded as the relatively stable and enduring aspects of
individuals that distinguish them from other people.

There are many type theories of personality which identifies numerous types of personality
which can be used to classify people and many underlie a personality test. Additionally, one of
the most widely used type theories is Carl Jung’s theory on which Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) is based (Mullins, 2005). MBTI, which is often applied to recruitment processes to
select appropriate vacancy candidates for the given jobs, identifies sixteen types of personality
based on individuals’ extroversion or introversion and their cognitive functions of thinking,
feeling, sensation, intuition, perception and judgment. As Mullins states, MBTI has promoted
substantial research interest, particularly in connection with the correlation between personality
type, occupations and management style. However, MBTI has not demonstrated adequate
validity and reliability although its popularity and use has been gradually increasing and there is
not sufficient, well-designed research to justify the use of the MBTI in career counseling
programs (Psychometric Success, 2009). On the other hand, types do not appear to predict
individual future performance (Coffield, Moseley, Hall & Ecclestone, 2004).

2.3 Devise an implementation process for the development plan:

Implementation the personal development plan is to putting into action the action plans to
achieve the goals and at the end of this exercise it should be made clear that whether:

The plan actually worked and if so then to what extent and which areas needs more attention and
consideration. To achieve the professional qualification resources (finance, time, cooperation of
management) require.

The implementation problem could be fail to achieve the qualification because of time
management or difficult to become a professional. If an employee show performance and
achieve all tasks then there may be chances for him to be promoted at higher position. To
become chief accountant I need to show performance and quality work at individual level.
The possible implementation could be there is tough competition between other accountants. The
change of field can become leaning problems sometimes. Resources are required to start own
business, the resources are finance, experienced staff and market. Possible problems could be I
might fail to manage finance or big companies will not let me enter into market.

LEARNING OUTCOME 3

Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the leadership development plan

3.1 Assess the achievement of outcomes of the plan against original objectives:

During the last decade, provision of property right incentives was introduced on a broad range

and became reality even for the bottom level of companies’ hierarchic structure. McDonald’s

is no exception. Up from the restaurant manager’s levels, stock options have become a main

tool aiming for long term profit. At McDonald’s stock options typically have a lifetime of ten

years, a vest over four to seven years and have an exercise price equal to the fair market value

at the grant date. The amount of stock options to receive depends on the level of

responsibility, the achievement of plan objectives and the implementation of key strategies.

In addition, McDonald’s strongly encourages its employees to participate in ownership of the

company. The minimum level of ownership ranges from one to five times the basic salary.

Comparison to other fast food companies

The average salary for a fast food restaurant manager in the United Kingdom ranges from

17.000 £ (~ 26.800 €) to 22.000 £ (~ 34.700 €)

for beginners and reaches levels up to 51.000

£ (~ 80.000 €) later (after twenty years of working experience). At the London-based

company PRET A MANGER a restaurant manager earns between 18.000 £ (~ 28.600 €) and
32.000 £ (~ 51.000 €) a year. In addition one can obtain up to 30% bonus on the annual salary

- based on the individual performance.

Compared to the figures cited above, McDonald’s attractiveness lies slightly above the

average and the rare figures of competitors indicate that the bonus to fixed salary is weighted

in a way which is comparable to McDonald’s compensation package. Too, the focus on

QSC&V (quality, service, cleanliness and value), a concept which has been adapted by most

fast food chains, finds it way into the remuneration scheme of almost every company.

3.2 Evaluate the impact of the achievement of objectives on strategic ambitions:

Marketing strategies directly impact food purchasing and eating habits. For example, in the late
1970s scientists announced a possible link between eating a high-fiber diet and a reduced risk
of cancer . However, consumers did not immediately increase their consumption of high-fiber
cereals. But in 1984 advertisements claiming a relationship between high-fiber diets and
protection against cancer appeared, and by 1987 approximately 2 million households had begun
eating high-fiber cereal. Since then, other health claims, supported by scientific studies, have
influenced consumers to decrease consumption of foods high in saturated fatand to increase
consumption of fruits, vegetables, skim milk, poultry, and fish.

Of course, not all marketing campaigns are based on scientific studies, and not all health claims
are truthful. In July 2000 a panel of experts from the U.S. Department of Agriculture supported
complaints made by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine that the "Got Milk"
advertisements contained untruthful health claims that suggested that milk consumption
improved sports performance, since these claims lacked scientific

Companies often use characters to appeal to young consumers. Ronald McDonald first appeared
on T.V. in 1963, portrayed by Willard Scott. The clown is known worldwide, and according to
McDonald's, is the most recognizable figure next to Santa Claus.
In addition, the panel agreed with the physicians' claim that whole milk consumption may
actually increase the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer, and recommended that this
information be included in advertisements.

The tremendous spending power and influence of children on parental purchases has attracted
marketers, and, as a result, marketing strategies aimed at children and adolescents have
increased. Currently, about one-fourth of all television commercials are related to food, and
approximately one-half of these are selling snacks and other foods low in nutritional value. Many
of the commercials aimed at children and adolescents use catchy music, jingles, humor, and
well-known characters to promote products. The impact of these strategies is illustrated by
studies showing that when a majority of television commercials that children view are for high-
sugar foods, they are more likely to choose unhealthful foods over nutritious alternatives, and
vice versa.

3.3 Review and update the leadership development plan:

Annual Review of Management Performance –

After consulting with the independent Directors the Chairs of the Compensation and Governance
Committees shall approve the annual goals and objectives of the CEO, which shall be consistent
with the Company’s goals and objectives relevant to the CEO’s compensation established
annually by the Compensation Committee in accordance with its Charter. In order to ensure
alignment in these discussions and in evaluating the CEO’s performance, the Chair of the
Compensation Committee shall be a member of the Governance Committee. Each year, the
Chairs of the Compensation and Governance Committees shall consult with the independent
Directors in evaluating the CEO's performance and shall thereafter jointly provide the CEO with
a performance review for the preceding year. Consistent with this evaluation, the Compensation
Committee shall establish the CEO's salary, bonus and other incentive and equity compensation
for the year. In addition, the Compensation Committee shall also annually approve the
compensation structure for the Company's officers, and shall approve the salary, bonus and other
incentive and equity compensation for the Company’s officers above the level of Vice President.
Succession Planning – The Board shall regularly review leadership development initiatives and
short- and long-term succession plans for the CEO and other senior management positions,
including in the event of unanticipated vacancies in those offices.
The Board is responsible for the selection of the CEO. In assessing the possible CEO candidates
as part of its annual review of succession plans, the independent Directors shall identify and
periodically update the skills, experience and attributes that they believe are required to be an
effective CEO in light of the Company’s business strategy, prospects and challenges. The Board
shall also take into account perspectives provided by the incumbent CEO relating to the
performance of internal candidates.

LEARNING OUTCOME 4

Be able to advocate a staff welfare environment that supports organizational values

4.1 Evaluate the impect of corporate commitment to staff welfare on organisational values:

With well over one million employees, McDonald’s impact on the workforce has been
significant. By 2000, one out of eight Americans had, at some time in their life, worked for this
company. As labour was one of the largest expenses and most unpredictable aspects of the
McDonald’s system every effort was made to rationalize the workforce. Apart from
implementing technology to replace human labour, McDonald’s decided to use a youthful
workforce.

Yet youth labour proved a double edge sword. McDonald’s treatment of its young workers
emerged as one of its earliest and most challenging public relations concerns. Critics argued that
youth’s lack of experience and eagerness to please left them vulnerable to corporate exploitation.

McDonald’s public relations experts have sought to legitimize its labour practices with articles
about employee incentive programmes. They have also been careful to feature happy and helpful
servers in their marketing campaigns. The declining teen population in the 1980s lead the
company to hire more new immigrant workers, seniors, and disabled workers, helping to distance
the corporation from the controversy of youth labour.

4.2 Discuss how a staff welfare enviroment can affect achievement of organisational
objectives:

Community and family values

McDonald’s began its expansion in the late 1960s in medium-sized towns, where its appeals to
cleanliness, value for money, friendly service and family looked in step with the mainly white
middle classes suburban inhabitants. Yet as the chain expanded into city centres and small towns,
it ran up against those for whom McDonald’s suburban values provoked a negative register. In
1969, when a black community in Cleveland boycotted McDonald’s restaurants, in protest over
the corporation’s denial of franchise opportunities for black people, McDonald’s value of mass
inclusiveness was challenged.

In 1974, the urban residence of Greenwich Village, New York, loudly protested that a second
McDonald’s chain would threaten local family owned shops, create more traffic congestion,
encourage loitering, and contribute to litter problems. Protesters from Hell’s Kitchen New York,
to Belmont in the Bronx, rallied against the opening of McDonald’s restaurants. Every location
McDonald’s failed to secure was more than simply a loss of income; it was a blemish on
corporate image. Public relations staff worked tirelessly to turn around community opinion.

4.3 Consider the influence of a corporate commitment to staff welfare on the development
of oranisational values:

We also hypothesize that subjective evaluations of various aspects of the team experience will
positively influence these important outcomes (H1a-d below); however, we ultimately expect
that team perceptions will indirectly influence commitment and turnover intentions via other
employee attitudes (H4m in Table 1). These are the overarching hypotheses guiding this study.
We will first the outline the rationale for our hypotheses regarding the relationships between four
aspects of the team experience and the two outcome measures of commitment and intent to quit,
then review the logic of several mediational hypotheses regarding the pathways between team
perceptions and these important employee attitudes.

Aspects of Team Experience

Team social relations. Here we refer to aspects of the team experience that are perceived to
provide social support, harmony, cohesion, and positive social relations: being respected by
other team members, feeling free to communicate ideas, working easily and well with others on
the team, and so on. Costa (2003) notes that team trust and cooperation are positively related to
attitudinal commitment. Perceptions of social support or coworker solidarity in the workplace
Work have also been shown to be positively associated with organizational commitment (Cohen
& Bailey, 1997; Cordery, et al., 1991; Parris, 2003)

Conclusion:

The business practices of McDonald’s are, to put it kindly, slightly suspect. By keeping
employee wages low and refraining from hiring full time workers, the company was able to save
money on health care packages and employee benefits. In addition, McDonald’s was able to gain
ground on its competitors in the 1970’s when a depression caused most other fast food chains to
halt their growth. McDonald’s used its superior resources to continue to grow and expand. Now,
the restaurant is perhaps the greatest symbol of contemporary American capitalism. By
saturating nearly every market it has entered, McDonald’s now envisions itself as a stabilized
company, not as interested in entering new markets as they are in exploiting those markets in
every way available to them. The company is also more able to respond to consumer demands
that, earlier in its existence, would have been impossible. But as one of the most powerful
businesses in the world, McDonald’s can pretty much do as it pleases- an advantage that has
come to characterize the history of the business.